Indore Traffic Management Under High Court Scrutiny As Petitioners Flag 64 Unlinked Signals And Parking Shortage

The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court expressed dissatisfaction with the traffic management efforts in the city on Tuesday. The court questioned the sufficiency of merely registering complaints, urging timely corrective action. A PIL filed related to traffic management, road safety, signal operations, and encroachment removal was the cause of concern.

Out of 92 traffic signals, only 28 are interconnected via the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS). The petitioner sought the integration of all signals into a coordinated system to minimize motorist stops at intersections and alleviate congestion. The traffic police force, with 660 personnel against 881 sanctioned posts, has 221 vacancies.

Further, the court scrutinized the poor coordination among traffic signals, staff shortages in the traffic police, inadequate parking facilities, and unsafe roads impacted by construction. The Vijay Nagar-Dewas Naka road, which is under construction, was also brought to light. The stretch has a significant portion excavated for a proposed flyover, leaving potholes, dust, loose stones, and construction debris posing difficulties for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.

Parking shortage was another issue highlighted. There are only 26 identified parking sites in Indore when compared to 51 in Nagpur, 42 in Kanpur, and 62 in Lucknow. The petitioner urged for additional parking facilities and actions against unauthorized parking. The court also examined compliance with earlier directions. In response to the legal counsel, Rajlaxmi Foundation suggested appointing Rahul Sethi as a single coordination officer for traffic improvements and court-order compliance.

They proposed daily departmental progress reports, detailing the work completed, pending, obstacles, and deadlines to ensure accountability and visible improvements.